Snuffles
by ClaireEve13
Summary: Hermione decides to reignite an old nickname but what will the past uncover? (Rated M for later chapters)


The fall of Voldemort was several years ago but, over the last couple months, Hermione had taken to teasing Sirius about a nickname she and her friends used for him in their fourth year at Hogwarts.

"Hey, Snuffles." Hermione grinned at Sirius as she walked in the kitchen. It was late at night on a Saturday. Hermione was free for the weekend from the Ministry and had decided to stay at Grimmauld place. Harry and Ginny were at their home with little James for the weekend. Ron and Luna were out celebrating their 2 year wedding anniversary. The rest of the Weasleys were at the Burrow with their parents (Molly had been badgering them about not spending enough time at home, even though none of the Weasley children lived at home anymore). Remus was spending time with Tonks and Teddy. Which would have left Sirius and Hermione alone in their respective homes. Hermione thought, however, they they were both happy for the company; what with them all working and being in serious relationships (apart from Hermione and Sirius) they didn't spend a lot of time together anymore, all of them.

It had been a while, in fact, since Hermione had stayed at Grimmauld place for the night. She was grateful for the change.

Sirius now grinned back at her. He was cradling a cup of something hot at the table. "Hey, Hermy-own-ninny." He said in a very bad imitation of Viktor Krum.

Hermione turned around from the counter she was at and stared at Sirius. "Merlin's beard," she muttered, "I haven't heard that name in ten years." She laughed softly, remembering the Yule Ball vividly.

"That was a long time ago, huh?" Sirius said seriously. He took a sip from his cup and grimaced. Hermione frowned at him but he was looking into his cup.

"What's in that, Snuffles?" She smirked, still half-frowning at him.

Sirius looked up at her unsurprised by her question. Instead he smirked right back. "Well, Hermy-own-ninny, it's tea with just a dash"-he pinched his fingers together and squinted-"of firewhiskey."

Hermione shook her head and turned to sit at the table with her own cup of tea, though without the firewhiskey. "You know it's 10pm. You don't have to hide it."

Sirius shrugged. "I like the way it tastes." There was a short pause. "Anyway," he said, looking up, "why have you suddenly started calling me Snuffles?" She couldn't tell if he was amused or serious. His expression was somehow a mixture of both.

Hermione smiled innocently over the table. "I don't know, I just...remembered it. I thought it was funny." She smiled, taking a tiny sip of her very hot tea. "And I thought it was an absolutely _adorable_ name for you to pick for yourself." She laughed.

Sirius smiled in return. "I thought it'd be the least conspicuous."

"Did you really think an adolescent boy would have called his pet dog _Snuffles_? I mean, not that you were ever his pet." She hastily added, noticing he was about to protest.

"No, I didn't think a boy of 14 would honestly name their dog that." He smiled and shook his head. "There was a girl at Hogwarts. A couple years below us at the time, also in Gryffindor, who spotted me after I turned one night. She apparently loved dogs. Obsessed, I would say, who fussed over me for ages, talking all babyish. I managed to get away but she wouldn't shut up over the next few days about this 'cute' dog she'd seen (that nobody else but James, Remus and Peter believed existed). She spent months and months trying to look for this dog. She caught me two more times and on the second time she decided to call me Snuffles. I was more careful to avoid her after that and she eventually gave up trying to find me. But I never thought about it again until I met you three in my hideout. I couldn't use Padfoot, obviously, but that name just came to me, after so many years. I can tell you, James and the others found out eventually and teased me relentlessly for it. It was awful." He said and laughed, a twinkle appearing in his eye. This was obviously something he had never spoken about before. Her heart melted a little.

"Oh. Poor Snuffles." Hermione pouted faux-sympathetically. "Did your fwiends pick on poor ickle Snufflekins." She watched his face change from amusement to mild annoyance and burst out laughing. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist."

"Oh shut it, Hermy." He smirked and drained half his cup, grimacing again. Hermione smirked back and drained half of hers too since it was almost luke-warm. Hermione got up to dump her cup in the sink. "What happened with Krum?" Sirius asked, making Hermione drop her cup in the sink with a loud _clang._

"Krum?" She asked, turning to face him. She hadn't thought about him in years. "What about him?"

"I thought there was a thing between you two? In your fourth year, I mean." He shrugged, stood up and put his cup in the sink too. When he leaned close to Hermione she could smell some faded cologne. "I just, never knew what really happened. Did you keep in contact?"

"What's with all the questions?" She asked, fully aware they were standing very close.

"Just curious." He lowered his voice slightly, now that they weren't speaking over a table.

"We did. Keep in touch. For a while." Hermione said, looking at the ground, feeling suddenly vulnerable. "I told him I liked someone else. I didn't tell him who. I didn't wanna hurt him." She said, still not meeting his eyes.

"Who?" He said. "Who was it that you liked?" His voice was soft.

"Ron." She swallowed. She didn't quite understand why she suddenly felt so shy. Everyone knew they dated for a short while. "Obviously," she added, "that never worked out. He got on better with Luna, surprisingly. And, well, you know what happened there." She shrugged, leaning back against the sink.

A short silence fell between them. "So...anyone new in your life?" Instantly Hermione knew what he was really asking and this made her think of him, since she'd grown a crush on him over the last couple months. Whether this had happened before or after she started calling him Snuffles she didn't know. She just knew that he was very attractive and, last she knew, very single.

She shook her head. "No one _new_ , no." She realised too late that she put a little too much emphasis on the word _new_.

"Someone old?" He asked. Hermione dared a glance at him and he was frowing with a slight smile on his face.

"Well, he is older than me." She blurted. "And...I've known him a while." She felt her heart race and her hands get clammy against the counter. She couldn't tear her eyes from his. It felt like he knew she was talking about him and before she knew what was happening he was leaning down toward her. Her heart hammered but he moved to the other side of her and picked up a tea towel. Hermione let out a long breath, feeling very disappointed but also a little relieved. She had not been prepared for him to kiss her. Was her breath okay? Did she smell okay? Was there something in her teeth?

Maybe she was just worrying too much. Turns out he didn't want to kiss her after all.

"You spilt some tea on the counter." Sirius said right by her ear and he slowly started wiping the table just behind her. She didn't dare move. She wasn't sure she could.

"Oops." Her voice barely above a whisper. "Accident."

"Who is this guy then?" He murmured, now standing so close she could feel his hot breath on her face and his torso against her side.

"I have a feeling, Snuffles, that you already know." She just about remembered to call him by his nickname. She wanted a reaction out of him because she was frozen to the spot.

Sirius leaned closer, putting his mouth right against her ear. "I think so too, beautiful." He whispered. Hermione shivered.

Sirius turned to face her fully where he leaned his head to hers and kissed her softly on her lips. Hermione responded immediately, leaning into the kiss. Oh god, oh god, she thought, he does want me after all.

"Krum was an idiot." Sirius mumbled against her mouth as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He moaned softly into her mouth. "So was Ron." He moved his hands slowly down to her butt and lifted her to sit on the counter. Hermione gasped and pulled Sirius closer.

"Definitely." Hermione mumbled against his mouth. She lowered her head to nuzzle his neck, feeling roused from whatever weird stupor she was in. She had to make the most of this.

"I'm glad, though." Sirius said, his head tilted back to let her tongue and lips graze his neck while he lazily trailed his hands over Hermione's legs. " I wouldn't be able to do this otherwise." He proceeded to pull her top up over her head, unclip her bra and claim an erect nipple into his mouth in very quick succession. Hermione gasped and then moaned with pleasure, running her hands through his soft hair. She felt her groin tingle, her mouth grow dry and her head fuzzy. Was this really happening? She thought.

"Sirius..." she gasped as his tongue teased each nipple in turn. He reached behind her and pulled her toward him, making her sit on the very edge of the counter. He then replaced his mouth with his hand, massaging her breast. He brought his mouth back to hers and kissed her with more fervour. The heat rose between them and it quickly became apparent that Sirius very much intended to get Hermione naked.

"Let's go to your room." She gasped against his hungry mouth. She was fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, wanting so badly to taste him.

Sirius smirked against her lips and lifted her off the counter, holding her around his waist.

"Wait!" Hermione shrieked. "I'm topless!" She tried to press herself to Sirius's chest in order to cover herself while simultaneously looking for her clothes.

Sirius chuckled, set her down and watched with slightly greedy eyes while Hermione hastily got dressed. Her face felt hot but her body felt weak as she turned to face him again.

"Happy?" Sirius grinned at her, then moved in to kiss her again and Hermione lost herself.


End file.
